Shaun
CEO and Founder
The Hutch 4 Day Week
Back in June 2022 we began trialling a 4 day week here at Hutch as part of 4 Day Week Global’s official trial alongside 61 other companies taking part to show the value of a change to working practices. We tried out this new way of working in our 3 offices in London, Dundee and Nova Scotia - tracking our productivity, staff wellbeing and a host of other metrics along the way.
At the end of the trial, we were over the moon to see that our productivity had remained stable, we’d had a lower turnover of staff and higher job offer acceptance rates. And with staff feeling happier and healthier, we decided to keep the 4 Day Week. It’s now been added as a rolling 12 month policy for all our staff (to be reviewed annually).
What We Did
Taking part in the 4 Day Week trial and implementing a shorter week took a lot of preparation and a lot of hard work, but it was worth it!
Discussed feasibility at a leadership level
Signed up to the 4 Day Week Global trial
Shared with the wider team and opened EVERYTHING up for discussion
Decided as a company that Friday would be our new day off
Kicked off the 6 month trial of a 4 Day Week!
Supported staff and as a company learnt how to be more efficient (and how to get our work done in 80% of the time with no extra stress)
Tracked various metrics, including productivity and staff wellbeing
Discussed the results at end of the trial and decided to stick with the 4 Day Week!
What We Learnt
Along the way, we learnt a lot about ourselves and changed the way we work for the better.
Fewer meetings!
We did a meeting audit and massively reduced the number of meetings across the company. And we introduced meeting guidelines to ensure that we were being efficient with who was being invited to meetings.Focus Time
We introduced methods like the Pomodoro technique where our team were coached to work with highly productive chunks of time and ensure frequent rest periods. Alongside this, we implemented quiet hours that encourage the team to disconnect from Slack and emails.The Fun Factor
Some staff were concerned that a 4 Day Work would mean less time for the fun stuff because we would all be focused on getting everything done in a shorter space of time. With this in mind, we're extremely mindful of not becoming ‘all business, no fun” and we're continually exploring new ways to ensure that the social side of Hutch doesn't suffer because we are focused on getting everything done in a shorter space of time.Productivity Days
We now have a bi-monthly productivity day when we all get together to share productivity hacks and learn new methods of getting more done in a shorter space of time. And it's also a great opportunity for us all to get together!
Advice for New Joiners
Thinking of applying for a job at Hutch but want to find out more about how the 4 Day Week? We've got you covered!
The Hutch Guide to Implementing a 4 Day Week
Are you interested in trying out a 4 Day Week at your company? Or do you wish your workplace would give it a go but they need a bit of help? We've put all of our learnings and guidance in one place!
